This has been a good year for Buckhead restaurants. While some longtime favorites have expanded and mainstays have crowds returning night after night, we have also seen a few new well-regarded eateries open (and reopen) in Buckhead Village. If you’re looking for a new spot to dine with a colleague or business associate, relax with friends over innovative craft cocktails or grab a quick but tasty bite, check out what’s new for inspiration!
The Shops at Buckhead
3035 Peachtree Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30305
www.lecolonialatlanta.com (404) 341-0500
Open Sunday through Wednesday from 11AM to 10PM, and Thursday through Saturday from 11AM to 1AM
A short elevator ride leads you from street level to the entrance of this sophisticated and beautiful restaurant. Le Colonial draws its inspiration from 1920s French Colonial Southeast Asia. Every detail, from the architecture and furniture to the staff uniforms, has been meticulously designed to instantly transport you to a time long ago in a land quite far from Buckhead. Wicker and rattan chairs complement crisp white tablecloths and light floods the space through metal rimmed walls of windows. In the lounge, dreamy light illuminates casual wicker and plush seating grouped in cozy arrangements. Le Colonial’s two bars, one near the front door and one in the lounge, exude class in every detail.
The menu at Le Colonial is French Vietnamese, offering elevated takes on dishes such as shrimp and pork rolls, pho, crispy red snapper, tuna tartare, and a personal favorite: Suon Nuong, chargrilled beef short ribs decked out in a signature Vietnamese dry rub and topped with lemongrass, cabbage slaw, scallion oil, and toasted peanuts. An extensive cocktail menu includes seasonal and Vietnamese inspired cocktails, french classics, a full-fledged mocktail selection, and a full five pages of wines.
Hanover Buckhead Village
3150 Roswell Rd NW Suite A3, Atlanta, GA 30305
www.iberianpigatl.com (404) 994-4990
Open Sunday through Thursday from 5PM to 10PM, Friday and Saturday from 5PM to 12AM
The second location of this popular Decatur-based Spanish Tapas restaurant has received rave reviews since it opened on the first floor of Hanover Buckhead Village this past May. Designed by Elizabeth Ingram Studio, the interiors feature intricate tiling, tall ceilings, and windows overlooking Roswell Road. Awash in a dark, monochrome style, the black marble walls and black, white, and wood tables and chairs are brightened by lavish jewel-toned velvet curtains and pops of color in the patterned bar stools. The space is divided into a first floor banquette with a large bar and the main dining room can be found on the mezzanine level.
The menu at Buckhead’s Iberian Pig is similar to that of its sister location in Decatur, featuring small plates like bacon wrapped Medjool dates, a selection of cheeses, paella, pork cheek tacos, lamb ribs, steak, halibut, cast iron seared octopus, a Berkshire and Wagyu burger, and, of course, their charcuterie plates. One of Iberian Pig’s most popular charcuteries, Jamón Ibérico, is the Spanish delicacy that actually inspired the name of the restaurant. Since becoming available in America only 12 years ago in 2007, it has been a mainstay on the Iberian Pig menu. The drink menu includes a selection of wines, unique takes on classic cocktails like the Old Fashioned, and fruity sangria drinks that pair perfectly with the flavorful small plates on the menu.
3150 Roswell Rd NW, Atlanta, GA 30305
www.cafeposhatl.com (404) 303-7303
Open Monday through Saturday, 8AM to 10PM
Cafe Posh, a popular Mediterranean-influenced cafe, has recently relocated to Hanover Buckhead Village next to the Buckhead Theater from its former Sandy Springs location. The space is cozy with wooden tables flanked by plush booths and chairs decorated in a subtle metallic fabric. Beyond a glass wall is the kitchen where fresh bread is often baking which fills the space with a mouth-watering aroma, and a small bar area houses a selection of wines. A few seats backed by a tall banquette can be found beyond a high-top table where you can grab a seat, pick up a to-go order, and gaze longingly at stacks of fresh-made cookies.
Owner Simona Edery is a fixture in the local community, having created the Cafe Posh brand close to 20 years ago. Recently Edery hired Executive Chef Ryan Chatherall, the son of a certified Master Chef with a long history of working in the Atlanta area. The menu offers dishes from breakfast to dinner, wine, espresso, and traditional sides. Edery describes the menu as “Asian continental infusion,” noting that dishes are influenced by everything from curries to hummus. Popular menu items include Shakshuka, a dish comprised of poached eggs in a mildly spicy tomato sauce with pepper ragout, tahini, and wrapped in Laffa, one of their signature breads. While you can find everything from muesli and pancakes to their popular Fish For Two dish, Chef Chatherall says his favorite menu items are the lamb dishes, and the volcano-cut lamb shank which will be braised for 14 hours and served over butternut squash puree with a tomato-based red wine reduction is one of the more exciting dishes he’s currently developing.
77 West Paces Ferry Rd NW Suite 35A, Atlanta, GA 30305
www.velvettaco.com/location/atlanta-buckhead (470) 400-3900
Open Monday from 11AM to 12AM, Tuesday through Wednesday 11AM to 2AM, Thursday through Friday 11AM to 3AM, Saturday 10AM to 3AM, and Sunday 10AM to 12AM
Funky and industrial, the interior of Velvet Taco features counter service for ordering, four wooden high-top tables, and a metal bar running along the front window of the dining room. Metal chairs offer communal seating at the variety of surfaces, and an accent wall of reclaimed wood offsets the concrete floors and metal elements that can be found throughout the space. On the walls are pop-inspired artworks proclaiming “soup of the day: margarita” and “WTF,” a cheeky use of the acronym that stands for “Weekly Taco Feature.”
The menu is, as predicted, mostly tacos. They offer proteins that include chicken, veggies, beef, pork, and fish, topped with flavors that range from traditional (the rotisserie chicken with queso blanco, roasted corn pico, charred tomato poblano salsa, and cilantro on a corn tortilla) to unusual and edgy (the grilled salmon comes with avocado crema, house shred, lime crema, roasted corn pico, pickled fresnos, and micro cilantro, served on a pink hibiscus corn tortilla). All day brunch includes chicken and waffles taco, bacon and eggs taco, and steak and eggs taco.
Personal favorites include the Spicy Tikka Chicken Taco with crisp tenders, spicy tikka sauce, buttered cilantro basmati rice, raita crema, Thai basil, served on a flour tortilla. Enjoy with caution, this dish is packed full of flavor and spice! One side which is honestly one of the tastiest things I’ve ever eaten is the ‘Elote’ corn dip made with queso listo, Valentina, crema, queso fresco, and garnished with lime. If you love corn and you love queso, you can’t go wrong with this side. Ask for the blue corn chips for dipping, they are perfectly salted and the combination is sure to please whether you’re stopping by for lunch or hitting up the restaurant late at night after bar hopping around town.
77 West Paces Ferry Rd., Suite 35B, Atlanta, GA 30305
www.jenis.com/buckheadmarketplace (470) 270 8117
Grand Opening Thursday, October 10 at 7PM, after which they will be open daily, 12PM to 11PM
Splendid, indeed. Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream is nearly ready to open their doors for service in Buckhead Village. Located conveniently right next door to Velvet Taco in the West Paces shopping center anchored by Whole Foods, this bright and airy space is convenient for ice cream lovers of all ages. Colorful artwork lines the walls, and shelves display ice cream-themed pins, stickers, and even bags of “Cone Coins” which can be exchanged for kids cones.
A long cooler is full to the brim with fun flavors like goat cheese with red cherries, boston cream pie, wildberry lavender, pumpkin cake roll, and more standard selections such as chocolate and vanilla. Jeni’s is well known for their eclectic flavors, so don’t be afraid to ask for a sample of selections you may not have tried before. They also make their waffle cones in house, something you’ll often notice when you walk through the front door and are hit by the unmistakable mouth-watering aroma of fresh-made cones.
The grand opening is slated for 7PM on Thursday, October 10. The first 50 guests in line will receive a free swag bag!
The spirit of Buckhead heads forward. This is the way it has been, and perhaps this is the way it will always be. The spirit of Buckhead points forward. You see it in the way we work, and you see it in the way we play. The reach is always extending further. The search is for excellence and beauty and grace and vibrancy.
We are a community of individuals. We are diverse, we are dynamic, and we are discerning. We are builders. We are connected to one another with a common bond. A common dream. A common quest. Pointing life in one direction. Forward.
